Surgical device for use with the feet



Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,467

H. E RD 7 llllllllm W? Jan. 12 1926.

H. EDWARDS SURGICAL DEVICE FOR USE WITH THE FEET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 24, 1922 IHIH NVENTOR ATTORNEY Withthe Feet, of

of the foot to their normal positions,

Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

I 1,569,461 EATENT "OFFICE.

UNITED ST TES nmm'rnnwnnns, or Nomi! rnvcnnn'z, LONDON, ENGLAND.

SURGICAL DEVICE FOR USE WITH THE FEET.

Application filed my 24, 1922. semi No. 577,101.

To all whom it may concern." Be it known that I, HENRY EnwARns, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residingat 17 Moss Hall Vlllas, North Fmchley, in the county of London, England, have 1nvented certain new anduseful Improvements in or Relating to Surgical Devices for Use which the following is a specification. p

This invention-has reference to surgical devices for use with the feet and adapted particularly for correcting or curing the irregularity known as flat foot. a

The device 'under this invention is designed to treat more especially the tarsus,

and metatarsus sectionsof the foot wherein are situated the longitudinal and transverse arches respectively, and to restore the bones re-forming the longitudinal and transverse arches and readjusting the os calcis or heelbone, effecting the reinvigorating of the muscles, tendons, ligaments and the whole foot generally.

According to the invention the device which is more particularly adapted for the treatment" of .flat foot and weak ankle embodies a rotatable member or members having. a rounded or other suitably shaped surface or surfaces which correspond approximately to the natural conformation of a part or parts of the under surface of "the human foot'and with which the said part or parts move in contact under pressure when using the appliance for massaging suchpart or parts and reinvigorating the foot and restoring the natural elasticity thereto. The

pressure under which the massaging is to beeffected is preferably that of the entire weight of the person whose foot is to be treated. 'Each'of the rotatable members may be in the form of a'ball or of a figure somewhat representing a ball arranged on ball bearings in a frame or in the form of a roller mounted in side supports attached to a base and provided with one or more integral or removable rounded or other suitablyshaped enlargements either smooth finished or' formed with a roughened or serrated surface or covered with suitable'material. Where the enlargements are removably mounted on the rollers they may be adapted to be adjusted lengthwise thereof and may be mounted with balls or roller bearings on' the rollers and the rollers may be mounted on ball or roller bearings in the said side supports.

thereby;

the foot in opposite directions in contact therewith, or by power driven mechanism, it being understood that a suitable pressure should be exerted between the foot and the member or members no matter whether the latter is or are rotatedby movementof the foot or: by the power driven mechanism. The device may be provided with side frames fitted with spring supported handles for-enabling a person to maintain an upright position when using theappliance without supporting his weight on the frame, so as to ensure such weight being carried by the said member or members. One construction of device adapted for use with both feet at the same time comprises two spaced parallel roller members mounted in a frame, one of such members ,being provided with an enlargement in the middle of its length and the other of which is provided with two enlargements one on each side of the middle of its length, the enlargements on the two.

roller members bein so disposed relatively to each other that w en the feet are placed in 'osition the forward portions of the feet suc as where the metatarsal muscles are sit 'is arched in the two directions in accordance with the normal state of the foot and in exercising the feet backwards and forwards in contact with the roller members the different muscles concerned are effectively massaged and the feet are returned to their natural conformation and the natural elasticity of the foot restored. If desired the enlargements may be builtup of rings or sections so as to enable the,feet to be simultaneously moved in opposite directions.

In order that the said invention may be clearly. understood and readily carried into 'efiect the same will now be described more fully with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a perspective view of one construction of device adapted for the use of both feet simultaneously. I

Figure 2 is a Ian view and Fi ures 3 and 4 are respective y transverse an longitudinal sections on. the lines 3 3 and 44 of Figure 2. a

Figure 5 is a side elevation partly in section of a device wherein the roller members are adjustable vertically and horizontally.

Figure 6 is a transverse section of a device wherein the roller members are adapted to be partially rotated in opposite directions by a c ockwork motor. Figure 7 is a rear view of a modification of Flgure 1 provided with side frames.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2,3 and 4, which is shown by way of example, the front roller member a is formed with a middle enlargement a and the rear roller member I) with two side enlargements b and such enlargements 0/. and b are provided with rounded surfaces which are tapered or reduced until flush with the surface of the corresponding roller and are preferably formed with serrations. The rollers a and b are provided with flanges a? and b to prevent longitudinal movement and are rotatably mounted at their ends in side members 0 attached to or forming part of the base cl, ball bearings 0' being provided for the ends of the rollers if needed for reducing friction to a minimum. Be? tween the side members c'is dis osed an upper wall e which has a round frontmargin e to avoid the heels contacting there-- with when moving the feet backwardsandforwards in contact with the enlargements, which with the rollers partly project through the upper wall e, the front and rear margins of which are suported by front and back walls f. The upper wall may be pro vided with particulars for indicating the manner in which the feetare to be placed thereon and exercised.

In'Figure 5 is shown by way of example a device with adjustable rollers and separate side members 0 for each end of each roller. In this construction each side margin of the base d is formed with a slot 9 and into such slots depend internally screw threaded lugs g? attached to the side member, and through such lugs g extend screw threaded rods 9" supported at one end in recesses in the base in which they are retained by nuts 1?] and at the other end projecting through the base and being fitted with milled heads 9 whereby the rods may be rotated in either direction for moving the side members with their rollers nearer to or farther from each other,

this being eil'ected'by providing the screw threaded rods witli r1ght;and left hand 'screw threads. Vertical adjustment of the rollers is obtained by mounting the ends thereof in. blocks h disposed in slots h in the side members 0 and-securing the blocks h to screw threaded pins 71. extending through the upper part of the blocks and fitted with milled headed nuts h the turning of which enables the height of the rollers to be va ied'. To enable the relative positions of th enlargements'a' and b to be adjusted, these are made separate from and fitted on the rollers 11 and 1) nd are secured in position by nuts in e iggagement with screw threads on'the rollers and with the ends of the enlargementsf Where the rollers are provided with relatively adjustable enlargements they are adapted to receive enlargements of varying sizes and for this purpose the flanges a and b are removable and theupper parts 0 (Figure 5). of the side members 0 are'made detachable from the lower parts thereof. A construction of device with the three adjustments herein set forth is adapted for the use of a number of persons.

The mechanism shown by way of example in Figure 6 for partially rotating the rollers a and bin opposite directions alternately comprise aspring motor 5 which serves to rotate a toothed wheel i having an eccentric pin 2' connected with a link '5 whereby oscillatory motion is imparted to 'a-lever 71* connected with a toothed rack i in engagement with toothed: racks i? on the rollers, the oscillatory motion of the lever serving to alternately rotate the rollers in opposite direction for massaging the feet of a person standing thereon. Where the rollers are adjustable the toothed rack i is also mounted as to be vertically adjustable..-

In the construction shown by way of example in Figure 7 the device is similar to that illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 with the exception that the upper, front and rear walls are dispensed'with and the side membersc are fitted with telescopic side frames I 'for'enabling a person to maintain an upright position when using the devicewithoutsupporting his weight on the frames through the hands and arms and" ensurin such weight being borne by the rollers through the feet. Each of the side frames comprises tubular portions is attached to the side members or they may be attached to the base, and an upper inverted U shaped portion is which slides in the tubular portions lc and bears on springs contained in the latter.

It will be understood that the device is to be used with bare or stockinged feet.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A surgical device for. use with the feet comprising a support fitted with rotat able members having enlarged rounded portions .positioned in parallelism, the parts of 1 ing rounded enlargements approximately corresponding wit the natural curves of the longitudinal an transverse archesof the feet, the parts of maximum diameter of the enlargements being arranged in spaced parallel planes disposed transversely relatively to the axes of the rollers; 3: A surgical device for use with the feet, comprising a support,and a pair of parallel rollers rotatably mounted therein and provided with rounded enlargements andcapable ofsupporting the weight of a person when using the device, the rounded enlargements of the respective rollers being correspondingly arranged to the longitudinal and transverse arches ofthe feet when arranged thereon side by side in proximity to each other and the parts of maximum diameter of the enlargements being arranged in comprising a support, and a pair of parallel rollers provided with rounded enlargements spaced parallel planes disposed transversely relatively to the axes of the rollers.

4. A surgical device for use with the feet,

and journalled in said support, the respec tive enlargements being, arranged on the rollers with the parts of maximum diameter arranged in spaced arallel lanes trans versely disposed relatively to t e axes of the rollers for supporting the longitudinal and transverse arches of the feet when placed thereon side by side in proximity to each other. v

Y 5. A surgical device for use with the feet, comprising a support fitted with a;plurality\, of rotatable rollers capablebf ad ustment relatively to each other and provided with rounded enlargements and constituting a surface corres onding with the natural curves ofthe a on 'tudinaland transverse arches of the feet w en arranged thereon side by side in proximity toeach other, the arts of maximum diameter of the rounde enlargements being arran ed inspaced parallel planes transversely lsposed relatively to the axes of the rollers. l

a 6. A surgicaldevice' for use with the feet,,f comprising a su port, and a plurality of rollers journalle In said support and providedwith rounded enlargements adjustable lengthwise of-the rollers and having their relative y to the rollers, the. e argements parts of maximum diameter arranged in spaced arallel planes transversel' disposed constituting a surface corresponding with the natural curves of the longitudinal and transverse arches of the feet when arranged side by side'in proximit to -sach other.

i 7. A surgical device or use with the feet, comprising a stationary support, a pair of rotatable rollers provided with rounded en largements havin 0 their parts of maximum diameter arranged in spaced parallel planes transversely disposed relatively to the axes of the rollers, the enlargements correspond v ing in their relative positions to the longitudinal and transverse arches of the foot.

and means for efl'ectin'g vertical adjustment of said rollers relatively to each other said to retain the rollers in the ad- 7 means serving justed position. s

8. r A' surgical device for use with the feet comprising a stationary support, a pair of rotatable rollers provided with rounded'enlargements havin their parts of maximum diameter arrange in spaced parallel planes transversely disposed relatively to the axes of the rollers, the enlargements corresponding in their relative positions to the longitudinal and transverse arches of the foot, and adjusting means for varying the distance between the rollers such means servto retain the rollers .in the adjusted position.

9. A surgical device for use with the feet, comprising a stationary support, a air of rotatable rollers provided with roun ed enlargements having their. parts ..of maximum diameterxarranged in spaced parallel planes transversely disposed relatively to the axes of the rollers, the-enlargements corres 0nding in their relative positions to the ongitudinal and transverse arches of the foot, means for effecting definite vertical adjusfi; ments of said rollers relatively to ea other, and means for horizontally adjusting the rollers for varyin the distance between the same, the means for effecting the vertical and horizontal adjustments serving 10. A surgical device for use with. the feet, comprising a stationary support, a pair of rotatable rollers provided with rounded.

enlargements having their parts of maxi- -mum diameter arran ed in spaced parallel planes transversely isposed relatively to the axes of the rollers, the enlargements corresponding in their relative positions to the longitudinal and transverse arches of the foot, meansfor adjusting the rollers vertically and horizontally and retainin the in the adjusted position, and means or a justing' the enlargements lengthwise of the rollers. v

' HENRY EDWARDS. 

